Airflow guide

ABSTRACT

An airflow guide includes a top cover and two side covers disposed on opposite ends of the top cover. The top cover includes a first top plate and a second top plate slidably connected to the first top plate. Each side cover includes a base plate fixedly connected to the first top plate, a sliding plate slidably connected to the base plate, and a revolving plate rotatably connected to the sliding plate.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to heat dissipation in an electronic device, and particularly, to an airflow guide for heat dissipation applied in an electronic device.

2. Description of the Related Art

An electronic device (for example, a computer or a server) can consist of many parts such as a disk drive, a power supply, a motherboard and electronic components such as memory, IC components, CPU (central processing units), and others, assembled on the motherboard. Heat generated by the electronic components of the electronic device requires prompt dissipation. As performance parameters of the components increase, the generated heat increases commensurately. Therefore, the electronic device usually includes a fan, which is provided with an airflow guide, to dissipate the heat generated by the electronic components.

A typical airflow guide is fixed in a computer case, and a fan is provided with the airflow guide to dissipate excess heat. The airflow guide can be disposed on the CPU and the power supply. The airflow guide includes a top cover and two side covers. The side covers extend perpendicular to opposite ends of the top cover respectively. The side covers and the top cover cooperatively define an air inlet adjoining the CPU and an air outlet adjoining the power supply. However, for different sizes of electronic components, various airflow guides having different configurations may be required. For example, a single-core CPU and a dual-core CPU require different lengths of the airflow guide.

Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views, and all the views are schematic.

FIG. 1 is an assembled, isometric view of one embodiment of an airflow guide including a top cover and two side covers.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the airflow guide of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded, isometric view of the top cover of the airflow guide of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded, partial, isometric view of the top cover of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, isometric view of one side cover of the airflow guide of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, partial, isometric view of one side cover of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the airflow guide of FIG. 1 in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of an airflow guide 100 as disclosed includes a top cover 10 and two side covers 20. The two side covers 20 are fixedly disposed on opposite sides of the top cover 10. The two side covers 20 and the top cover 10 cooperatively define an air inlet 31 and an air outlet 32 opposite to the air inlet 31.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4, the top cover 10 includes a first top plate 11, a second top plate 13 and a third top plate 15. The second top plate 13 is slidably connected to the first top plate 11. The third top plate 15 is slidably connected to the second top plate 13.

The first top plate 11 is substantially rectangular, and includes two engaging portions 112 and a receiving portion 115. The two engaging portions 112 are defined in opposite sides of the first top plate 11 respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, each engaging portion 112 is a T-shaped groove. The receiving portion 115 is defined in the adjoining side of the first top plate 11. The second top plate 13 is at least partially received in the receiving portion 115. The first top plate 11 further defines two positioning holes 113 in the opposite sides of the first top plate 13 adjacent to the two engaging portions 112. The two positioning holes 113 communicate with the receiving portion 115.

The second top plate 13 is substantially rectangular, and includes two limiting pins 131 arranged at opposite sides of the second top plate 13. The two limiting pins 131 are received in the two positioning holes 113 of the first top plate 11. The second top plate 13 defines two positioning holes 132 in the opposite sides of the second top plate 13. The second top plate 13 further defines a receiving groove 135 in a side of the second plate 13 adjacent to the two positioning holes 132. The receiving groove 135 communicates with the two positioning holes 132.

The third top plate 15 is substantially rectangular, and includes two limiting protrusions 151 arranged at opposite sides of the third top plate 15. The two limiting protrusions 151 are respectively received in the two positioning holes 132 of the second top plate 13.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, each side cover 20 includes a base plate 21, a sliding plate 23 and a revolving plate 25. The sliding plate 23 is slidably connected to the base plate 21. The revolving plate 23 is rotatably connected to the sliding plate 23.

The base plate 21 is substantially rectangular, and defines two positioning holes 212 in opposite sides of the base plate 21 and a holding portion 215 in the other adjoining side of the base plate 21. The two positioning holes 212 communicate with the holding portion 215. The sliding plate 23 is at least partially received in the holding portion 215. The base plate 21 further includes two fixing portions 213 disposed in opposite ends of one of the opposite sides of the base plate 21 adjacent to the holding portion 215. The two fixing portions 213 are received in the corresponding engaging portions 112 of the first top plate 11. In the illustrated embodiment, each fixing portion 213 is a T-shaped protrusion.

The sliding plate 23 is substantially rectangular, and includes two limiting shafts 231 and two connecting portions 232. The two limiting shafts 231 are disposed on opposite ends of a side surface of the sliding plate 23 away from the connecting portions 232. The two connecting portions 232 are disposed on two adjoining corners of an outer surface of the sliding plate 23. Each connecting portion 232 defines a shaft hole 235.

The revolving plate 25 is substantially rectangular, and includes two revolving shafts 251. The two revolving shafts 251 are disposed on opposite ends of the revolving plate 25, and received in the two shaft holes 235 of the sliding plate 23, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, during assembly of the airflow-guide 100, the second top plate 13 is partially received in the receiving portion 115 of the first top plate 11. The two limiting pins 131 are received in the corresponding positioning holes 113 of the first top plate 11. The third top plate 15 is partially received in the receiving groove 135 of the second top plate 13. The two limiting protrusions 151 are received in the corresponding positioning holes 132 of the second top plate 13. The fixing portions 213 of the base plates 21 are fixed in the engaging portions 112 of the first top plate 11. The sliding plates 23 are partially received in the holding portions 215 of the base plates 21. The two limiting shafts 231 of the sliding plates 23 are received in the corresponding positioning holes 212 of the base plates 21. The revolving shafts 251 of one revolving plate 25 are received in the shaft holes 235 of the connecting portions 232 of the sliding plates 23, such that the revolving plates 25 are rotatably connected to the sliding plates 23.

Referring to FIG. 7, when the airflow guide 100 is provided in an electronic device (not shown) to dissipate heat from electronic components (not shown), the second top plate 13 is partially received in the receiving portion 115 of the first top plate 11. The third top plate 15 is partially received in the receiving groove 135 of the second plate 13. The sliding plates 23 are partially received in the holding portions 215 of the base plates 21. Accordingly, a total length of the airflow guide 100 is adjusted by adjusting the relative positions of the second top plate 13, the third top plate 15 and the sliding plates 23 which are corresponding to different component sizes. In addition, the revolving plate 25 can be rotated relative to the sliding plate 23 to change an angle between the revolving plate 25 and the sliding plate 23, such that a direction of an airflow exiting the second air outlet 32 can be adjusted.

It is to be understood that the engaging portion 112 of the first top plate 11 can also be a latching groove, and correspondingly, the fixing portion 213 of the base plate 21 is a hook received in the engaging portion 112 in the form of the latching groove. The revolving plate 25 can also be rotatably connected to the sliding plate 23 by a hinge. The third top plate 15 and the revolving plate 25 can also be omitted.

Finally, while the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 

1. An airflow guide comprising: a top cover comprising a first top plate and a second top plate slidably connected the first top plate; and two side covers disposed on opposite sides of the top cover, wherein each side cover comprises a base plate fixedly connected to the first top plate and a sliding plate slidably connected to the base plate.
 2. The airflow guide of claim 1, wherein the first top plate comprises two engaging portions defined in opposite sides of the first top plate, the base plate comprising two fixing portions disposed in opposite end of a side of the base plate, and the fixing portions are engaging the corresponding engaging portions.
 3. The airflow guide of claim 2, wherein each fixing portion is a T-shaped protrusion.
 4. The airflow guide of claim 3, wherein each engaging portion is a T-shaped groove for receiving the corresponding fixing portion.
 5. The airflow guide of claim 2, wherein the first top plate defines a receiving portion in a side of the first top plate adjacent to the two engaging portions to receive the second top plate.
 6. The airflow guide of claim 2, wherein first top plate further defines two positioning holes in the opposite sides of the first top plate adjacent to the two engaging portions.
 7. The airflow guide of claim 6, wherein the second top plate further comprises two limiting pins arranged at opposite sides of the second top plate, and the limiting pins are received in the corresponding positioning holes.
 8. The airflow guide of claim 1, wherein the top cover further comprises a third top plate slidably connected to the second top plate.
 9. The airflow guide of claim 8, wherein the second top plate defines a receiving groove in a side of the second top plate to receive the third top plate.
 10. The airflow guide of claim 9, wherein the second top plate further defines two positioning holes in opposite sides of the second top plate communicating with the receiving groove.
 11. The airflow guide of claim 10, wherein the third top plate comprises two limiting protrusions arranged at opposite sides of the third top plate, and the limiting protrusions are received in the corresponding positioning holes.
 12. The airflow guide of claim 1, wherein the base plate defines a holding portion in a side of the base plate to receive the sliding plate.
 13. The airflow guide of claim 12, wherein the base plate further defines two positioning holes in opposite sides of the base plate, and the positioning holes are communicating with holding portion.
 14. The airflow guide of claim 13, wherein the sliding plate comprises two limiting shafts disposed on opposite ends of a side surface of the sliding plate, and the limiting shafts are received in the two shaft holes.
 15. The airflow guide of claim 14, wherein each side cover further comprises a revolving plate rotatably connected to the sliding plate.
 16. The airflow guide of claim 15, wherein the sliding plate further comprises two connecting portions disposed on two adjoining corners of an outer surface thereof.
 17. The airflow guide of claim 16, wherein the revolving plate comprises two revolving shafts disposed on opposite ends thereof, each connecting portion defining a shaft hole, and the revolving shafts are received in the shaft holes, respectively. 